Deepti Sharma's 49 and an unbeaten 39 from debutant Niki Prasad pulled India out of trouble as they beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the first T20I in Raipur, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing 115, India were reduced to 19 for 4 inside four overs by Nyasha Gwanzura (3 for 18), before Deepti and Niki added 82 off 63 balls to set them up for a win with 26 balls to spare in what was Smriti Mandhana’s first match as India’s full-time captain. The win was India's ninth in a row, their longest winning streak in the format.

Put in to bat by Mandhana, Zimbabwe made a bright start despite losing Beloved Biza lbw to Kranti Gaud in the first over. Kelis Ndhlovu struck the ball cleanly through the off side and, with Modester Mupachikwa for company, took Zimbabwe to 60 for 1 at the halfway mark as India missed run-out chances and gave away overthrows.

The game, though, turned after drinks. Charani took a return catch to remove Mupachikwa, and the Indian spinners strangled the scoring rate. Ndhlovu, who was 42 off 30 balls at one stage, did not add another run and was bowled by an Arundhati Reddy slower ball for 42 off 44 in the 15th over, moments after surviving a catch by Niki at long-off that the third umpire ruled had touched the ground.

Sharne Mayers (43 not out off 33) kept Zimbabwe going with 4 fours and 2 sixes, including 15 off the 18th over bowled by Arundhati, but Nandani gave away just three runs in the final over and had Gwanzura and Michelle Mavunga stumped by Richa Ghosh off successive balls as Zimbabwe were limited to 114 for 5.

India's chase began with 14 off Tendai Makusha's first over before going awry. Gwanzura removed Mandhana with her first ball, the India captain leading-edging the ball to square leg, and then had Anushka Sharma caught at point three balls later. In the next over, which turned out to be a wicket maiden, Mavunga had Harmanpreet Kaur, playing her first game since stepping down as captain, caught at short midwicket. Gwanzura then held a sharp return catch to dismiss Shafali Verma and India found themselves tottering at 19 for 4 only 19 balls into their chase. It was the first time they had lost their first four wickets inside four overs of a T20I.

Deepti then joined hands with Niki in the middle, and the senior partner counterattacked from the start, lofting Gwanzura for two fours in the last over of the Powerplay. The pair took 15 off Olinder Chare who bowled the 10th over, and Deepti hit Mavunga for three fours in the 12th. Their stand of 82 was India's highest for the fifth wicket or lower in T20Is.

Deepti fell one short of her fifty in the 14th over, sweeping Chare to short fine leg, and Richa followed soon after, caught at deep midwicket off Biza, but Niki finished the match in the 16th over with a drive past mid-off.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe Women 114/5 in 20 overs (Sharne Mayers 43*, Kelis Ndhlovu 42; Nandani Sharma 2-11, Shree Charani 1-14) lost to India Women 116/6 in 15.4 overs (Deepti Sharma 49, Niki Prasad 39*; Nyasha Gwanzura 3-18) by 4 wickets.